A Nightmare on Elm Street
7-Film Collection
review by Bobby Blakey
In the world of horror there is a select group of famed killers that are considered the OGs of them all with one of them being Freddy Kreuger. His Elm Street franchise has spawned six films in the main series, two non-canon films, a TV series and a remake, not to mention the comics, merchandise and everything in between. Recently the original that started it all A Nightmare on Elm Street got the 4K treatment and now the rest of the series is getting it as well in the all-new A Nightmare on Elm Street 7-Film Collection.
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This new collection includes the original seven films – A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge (1985), A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987), A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988), A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989), Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991), and Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994) – along with the uncut versions of A Nightmare on Elm Street and The Dream Child. The collection also includes an alternate ending of Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare presented in anaglyph 3D and complete with 3D glasses in the physical collection.
A Nightmare on Elm Street follows a hideously scarred man who was murdered by a lynch mob returns years later in the terrifying nightmares of his killer’s teenage children… and the dreaming teenagers are starting to die in their sleep.
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In this first outing while he did make some clever quips, there was a darker tone to the character and one that was clearly destined for horror icon status. He spends more time in the shadows and creeping than in the foreground like in the later films and works so much better to bring the terror. As someone who has always loved Freddy and never gets enough of him, I appreciate the less is more tone in the original. Sure, there are some dated and silly moments like the extended arms gag, but it is such a great visual you can still appreciate it even now.
The film is still so good, but it is one that feels dated at times and cannot help but scream the 80s. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, just makes it cheesy at times, but the tone and execution keep it on track to the horror classic it is. There are so many iconic moments throughout the film and impressive effects that hold up great except for a couple of digital ones and the always silly final scene of Nancy’s mother pulled through the door window.
The first sequel, A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge took a different approach and follows a new family that moves into the house on Elm Street, and before long, the kids are again having nightmares about deceased child murderer Freddy Krueger. This time, Freddy attempts to cause havoc in the real world, and can only be overcome if the kids can master their fear.
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This chapter ditched the Nancy character for a new group and had a whole new tone with more quips and Freddy front and center. I feel like this is the film that really cemented Freddy to the version we all know and love today. Once again there are plenty of cheesy moments, but they are all so fun that you can’t help but have a good time amidst all the blood and chaos.
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This is the only film in the series featuring a male lead and the sexual undertones of dealing with sexuality add a dynamic that was unexpected to the story and one I think makes it stand out. It’s not the best in the series, but I really dig most of what they did with this one and love the chaos of the pool scene even though it shifted away from of who Freddy was in the first film.
One of my personal favorites is the third film A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors that follows a group of children at a local hospital who have to face Freddy Krueger. Working with a doctor assigned to the case, the kids realize their special abilities within the nightmare world. When Freddy captures one of them, they lead a rescue attempt into Krueger's domain, in hopes of putting his spirit to rest once and for all.
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This chapter not only brought back some of the original cast but also Patricia Arquette, Laurence Fishburne, and the return of Heather Langenkamp tying this chapter back into the original film. Taking it into the hospital gave it familiar horror vibes but also allowed them to go some interesting directions with Freddy and their own mental issues. One of my favorites being when they use their dream abilities to get powers and skills to be badasses. It adds a bit of a cartoony vibe to it all, but fun to watch.
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While the film is focused on this new group bringing Nancy back to the action, it gets things back on track and a more satisfying end to the film with its seeming end to the Nancy story line. It also starts to delve deeper into the history of Freddy and Elm Street in a way that makes it all bigger and more interesting as we prepare for the next chapter of his terror. This film has some of the best kills. I love the vein puppet sequence that is gross and all kinds of cool all at once even though some of the effects are kind of silly now.
In the fourth chapter, A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, the dream demon Freddy Krueger is resurrected from his apparent demise and rapidly tracks down all three of the surviving Elm Street kids. However, Kristen Parker soon realizes that Freddy is taking advantage of that unknown power she now wields to pull a new group of teenage children into his foul domain. Can she finally defeat Freddy or is it already too late?
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Director Renny Harlin who is currently back in his horror roots with The Strangers, helmed this chapter that picked up with the surviving characters a year later with Tuesday Knight replacing Arquette. I loved that they picked up with the survivors as a gateway to introduce the new kids, but sadly the film slogs along most of its run time. Really the only great thing about the film is the Freddy scenes with everything else kind of annoying. After what all they went through you would think we would be over the not believing anyone.
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There is a good balance of the creepy and cheesy elements of Freddy with Englund milking every scene. He even gets a fun scene outside of the make-up that is silly but works. The idea of the dream master is interesting but never evolves all that much into anything other that what we have already seen throughout the series. They ditched much of the lore that was being built and made it so by the numbers it never can really escape its own nightmare.
The story that began in part 3 continues into A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child that follows Alice, having survived the previous installment, who finds the deadly dreams of Freddy Krueger starting once again. This time, the taunting murderer is striking through the sleeping mind of Alice's unborn child. His intention is to be "born again" into the real world. The only one who can stop Freddy is his dead mother, but can Alice free her spirit in time to save her own son?
This chapter goes deeper into Freddy’s origin with the rape of his nun mother by the 100 maniacs which is a great concept in evolving the character but misses the mark most of the time. It goes all in with the fun and camp of Freddy that has become the persona now which is always fun to watch thanks to how perfect Englund always is. The kills this time around get way more over the top with some of the most inventive yet. I remember loving this one when I was younger for just the comic book hero dream battle featuring Super Freddy that is still fun despite being silly.
When they introduced the dream powers in part 3 it opened the door for a lot of new directions and while they took full advantage it did make the series lose its luster and terror. This film further delves into all that and mostly drops all the rules of Freddy that made him terrifying in hopes of making it easier to get the kills going, but they fail to really capture the essence of the characters’ lore. Despite the flaws of e film I would be lying if I said I didn’t still love it just for the joys of seeing Krueger wreak havoc in fun wacky ways.
The sixth installment and the first to ditch the Elm Street title, Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare, was meant to be the final entry into the franchise. The film follows dream monster Freddy Krueger has finally killed all the children of his hometown and seeks to escape its confines to hunt fresh prey. To this end, he seeks his child. However, someone discovers the demonic origin of Krueger's powers and meets him head-on in a final showdown.
The film wastes no time getting to the action complete with a Freddy homage to The Wizard of Oz. This entry brought the first theatrical appearance of a young Breckin Meyer, and a cameo from Roseanne Barr and Tom Arnold, rock icon Alice Cooper as Freddy’s father and a fun cameo from Johnny Depp who also appeared in the original film. The film ditches any of the previous characters to bring in an all-new group of teens to take on Freddy in his final outing.
This entry plays out pretty much like the last three films in tone with Englund getting to ham it up even more. The kills and torment are way sillier this time around but would be lying if I said it wasn’t still fun. Freddy doing anything is always fun to watch thanks to Englund’s commitment to the character. There is a dirty depth to the story dealing with a abuse that is way creepier than any of the deaths throughout the series. It fits the narrative given Krueger’s own history so was a great addition to the series that sadly gets lost in the silliness of the rest of the film. Still love seeing me some Freddy tormenting anyone so its worth checking out even if not a strong “final” film to the original series.
After the supposed final film in the franchise original director and horror directing icon Wes Craven returned t the series with a new take on the series with the aptly titled Wes Cravens’ New Nightmare. The film took a more meta-approach following the upcoming 10th Anniversary of the film 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' and one of the stars, Heather Langenkamp, is being scared by a voice on a phone, sounding very similar to the film's villain, Freddy Krueger. When Heather realizes that Freddy has now entered the real world, the only way to defeat him is to become Nancy Thompson once again.
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This stand-alone entry into the series brought back numerous actors from the franchise playing versions of themselves which keeps the film both respectful to the rest of the franchise, but also canon of sorts to the franchise. This includes Wes Craven himself in a rare on-screen role that further makes the premise to this film work. I love the darker tone to the film that takes Freddy back to the terrifying nature of what was teased in the original and his new look is my favorite of the series even though it’s so different.
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The film is the only film in the franchise to showcase no credits that ground it in the real world it is trying to portray. It’s a very clever way to not only update the series but also deal with the trauma some performances give actors. Craven brilliantly walks the line between the fantasy and real-world nature of the series as this film becomes both in a bloody fun way. Englund’s performance is even more psychotic and evil giving him a fresh take on the familiar complete with a makeover that lends to that. Nothing will beat the original, but this is Craven bringing his own vision back to the franchise that stands out as one of the better of the bunch.
In addition to the films this release includes bonus content including commentaries, featurettes and more. This collection will be available in limited edition collectible steelbook packaging and as a standard 4K collection and will be available to purchase on Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc online and in-store at major retailers and available for purchase Digitally from Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV, Google Play, Fandango at Home and more.
Dare to sleep again with the Nightmare on Elm Street 7-Film Collection available now from Warner Bros Discovery Home Entertainment.
